Reviews and Other Stuff

Natural Clean Haircare with Briogeo

July 16, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey There! Summer’s really here at full force and my hair has been taking a lot of beating lately with all the heat and humidity. It gets oily rather easily not just with the extra leave-in products I’ve been putting on my it, but also due to the extremes of temperatures both inside my house and the outside elements, not to mention the dust and sweat that mixes in. It’s so annoying, and I find myself constantly washing my hair and making sure that it doesn’t get so oily. So far, my haircare products of choice have been holding up well and lately, I discovered some products that seem to solve my hair issues this season – The latest Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Superfoods ($48) which I use in conjunction with the classic Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo ($36) and the Rosarco Repair Conditioner ($24). You might be wondering, what’s the difference with each of them? and Why do I use them alternately? Oh, there’s a lot to love with these haircare products.

Let’s first talk about the Don’t Despair, Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo (16 oz: $36). It’s the first Briogeo haircare product I purchased and I really love it. I like its milky fruity coconut-ish scent and it’s really a moisturizing shampoo that won’t weigh your hair down. Its consistency is not thick and it feels really good on the hair. It lathers well and it’s mild to use every day. I also like that it’s nourishing to the hair and it prevents further damage. It’s a great lightweight hydrating shampoo for those who’ve had chemical treatments done on their hair, and also, I really like the fact that it comes in a large easy-to-dispense container which makes it easy and practical for me to use and I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth. Next up is the Rosarco Repair Conditioner (8 oz: $24) which was on my wishlist for some time and I’m really glad that I purchased it because just like the Don’t Despair, Repair Shampoo, this conditioner smells great! You could sense the blend of Argan, Rose, and Coconut in this conditioner and it also delivers and restores moisture to the hair without making it oily or heavy. My hair feels smooth and soft with this and I feel like this is such a good everyday hair conditioner for any hair type. It can even make my hair withstand a moderate intensity of heat and humidity without using any leave-in treatments.

I could have stopped there and just be completely satisfied with those two Clean-certified Briogeo haircare products above, but with the release of the new Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Superfoods Hair Pack $48 ($56 value), I feel like I’ve got to try it because it also has the Clean seal from Sephora and I’ve been loving some clean haircare products lately especially the ones made by Briogeo. Another reason I wanted to try this pack (or you can purchase the shampoo and conditioner separately) is the fact that the packaging looks cute and who doesn’t love an apple-scented shampoo and conditioner? This haircare pack looks fresh and yummy and I wanted in on my hair. LOL

When I first tried the Be Gentle Be Kind Matcha + Apple Replenishing Superfood Shampoo (12.5 oz: $28) I was blown away by how good it smells. And yeah, it really does smell like green apple and it has a lightweight consistency, almost like a gel. It cleanses my hair very well without adding any weight. I was actually quite worried that it might leave my hair dry, but nope, it just cleanses it well and it cleanses thoroughly. I love the fact that it’s six free, which means there are no harsh silicons, parabens, etc., and it’s also cruelty-free. The same is true with the Be Gentle Be Kind Kale + Apple Replenishing Superfood Conditioner (12.5 oz: $28) which also has a strong yummy green apple scent. This conditioner feels creamy and it delivers moisture to the hair without making it too hydrated, oily, or heavy no matter how much I put on it. It’s nice to know that it’s rich in vitamins and antioxidants which is really a big help for the hair especially at this season and it’s great for protecting the hair from breakage while nourishing it deep to the strands.

If you ask me if there’s a big difference among the Briogeo Clean haircare products reviewed above, I think that the difference is subtle but it matters a lot as to what you want in a haircare product. Personally, I feel like if I’m gonna be staying indoor with a strong AC blasting constantly on my hair, I’m definitely gonna be using the Don’t Despair, Repair Shampoo, along with the Rosarco Conditioner just to keep the moisture on my hair. But if I’m gonna be out and about running errands and walking under the sun, then I’ll reach out for the Be Gentle Be Kind Superfoods Haircare.

Overall, I definitely recommend these Briogeo Haircare products and I think they’re great for cleaning the hair every day without being harsh. Check out my hair below. (P.S. I definitely need a haircut, I know, LOL…)

The Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Moisture Shampoo, Rosarco Conditioner, and The Be Gentle Be Kind Superfood Haircare are currently available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Revolve, QVC, JCPenney, Dermstore, Bloomingdale’s, & Anthropologie

Samples of The Week

July 12, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hi There! I have another set of randomly accumulated samples which I’m gonna feature in today’s post. I don’t exactly have a criterion as to which type of samples I plan to review, I just sorta pick and choose which ones made me curious or I felt like trying, and from then on I’d pay close attention to which products might seem promising and are worth buying in the regular size. So, let’s start this review, shall we?

The first thing that caught my eye is a sample set of the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Deliciously Shiny Lipstick (0.09 oz: $32) that I found in my stash. It’s got two colors in it which you can see below. This lipstick truly smells delicious and has a bit of a floral scent as well. I love how the colors have that balmy oily feel, which also is kinda similar to the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks (swatched HERE) or the Tint-in-Balms, reviewed below. It has a shiny effect on the lips and the coverage is medium sheer. It’s also very comforting and has a good lasting power for about 3 to 4 hours.

002 Pink Tie – barbie-pink

003 Red Heels – bright red

This Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-in-Balm in No. 3 Call Me Rose (0.12 oz: $34) is one the latest releases in YSL lip products and it has that signature YSL lipstick fruity scent. It’s so hydrating and really comfortable on the lips even though the No.3 shade is way too light for me. I’m thinking of getting some slightly darker shades of this lipstick soon since I really love the formula but the color on the sample is just not the right fit for my skintone.

Then let’s talk a bit about haircare for a moment. The Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Anti-Frizz Blowout Butter (5 oz: $34) is my favorite styling cream at the moment. I’ve been testing this and I really love how I only put a pea-size on my hand and it melts easily giving my hair complete coverage and protection against heat styling, and it works great to tame my frizzies and flyaways even without blow drying or without using a flat iron. For the complete review of the Alterna Caviar Anti-Frizz line (Shampoo & Conditioner), please read it HERE.

I have some Bite Beauty minis that I received as a birthday freebie from Sephora. The packaging looks really cute and though the products are small, they’re still worth trying.

Agave Lip Balm (0.15 oz: $18) – This is so hydrating and it feels a lot thicker compared to most lip balms and because of that, it’s kinda hard to apply and spread it on the lips, so for practicality reasons, I feel like I could skip on this one. I’ve also heard some issues about its packaging as well.

Agave Sugar Lip Scrub (0.26 oz: $18) – This has a vanilla scent with sugar bits on it for exfoliating the lips. I like this product a lot but I feel like the sugar particles are too large to scrub it on my lips and it can hurt. Also, you need to know how to use this product, which basically requires you to add water while you scrub this on the lips. Using this alone without water is just impossible.

Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Glace (0.05 oz: $24) – Further swatched and reviewed HERE. This is my most favorite shade of the Matte Creme Lip Crayon line simply because it’s the most wearable shade for me.

Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Chai (0.15 oz: $26) – The Amuse Bouche Lipstick by Bite Beauty has one of the best range of wearable colors for a lipstick in my opinion, and I would love to have them all. I own some already, but I feel like now my favorite shade among them is this mauve-brown Chai color. A subtle reminiscent of the 90’s lipstick color trend.

Boscia – There are two very promising Boscia skincare products lately that’s certified Clean by Sephora.

Cactus Water Moisturizer (1.61 oz: $38) – This moisturizer has a mild green scent and it feels like a light cooling gel on the skin. But don’t underestimate its lightness because it packs a punch in hydration. Truly, this is so moisturizing without feeling heavy on the face but you need to be careful not to put a lot because it has a tendency to peel. It’ll also take a bit of time for it to be absorbed by the skin, so you’re gonna have to wait a little bit more before you put on your makeup. Other than that, this moisturizer is almost perfect and it’s even more perfect for oily skin.

Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask (2.6 oz:$38) – If you don’t mind looking like “Shrek” whenever you use this mask, then this is the face mask for you. It’s rich in antioxidants because of the matcha green tea component. I love how this mask hydrates my face even though it’s quite a challenge to rinse it off since this is really creamy and thick. It reminds me a bit of the Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask (reviewed HERE) in terms of its scent and consistency.

I’ve always wanted to purchase this Sunday Riley C.E.O. C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer (0.5 – 1.7 oz: $22-65) in its regular size, but for some reason, I just needed that “push” so I can really make up my mind. With this mini, I feel like I can now pull the trigger and really add this cream as one of my skincare staples. What I like about this cream are the vitamins and antioxidants that it contains which is really a necessity for skin nourishment. Also, the scent of this cream is TDF.

I had mixed emotions when I first tried this It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream Smooths, Brightens, Depuffs (0.5 oz: $48). I wasn’t used to its cushiony texture at first and I thought that it’s kinda hard to apply, but as I keep trying it, I really enjoyed it. It keeps my undereye looking hydrated and it seemed to depuff it as well. My dark circles are still there but there’s never gonna be a perfect cream for it, however, I’m glad that this eye cream made some difference on my undereye issues.

Overall, I love this batch of samples. They’re so useful and they gave me an idea as to which product I should look out for especially when I’ll have some specific skincare and beauty needs.

Have you tried these products yet?

x.x

Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 Review

July 10, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello haircare addicts! yes, I’m one of you, and I have a new haircare discovery that I’m gonna talk about in today’s review. This particular haircare product is so life-changing and I never knew I’d be able to find a product like this ever. Yes, my queens, I’m talking about the Olaplex Hair Perfector No.3 (3.3 oz: $28). This has been recently carried by Sephora and I was so excited when I received their email notification saying that they’re now carrying Olaplex haircare products. Recently, I saw that they just added the No.4 and No.5 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Conditioner and I can’t wait to get my hands on those.

Anyways, Olaplex has been gaining some popularity lately due to a lot of famous celebs talking about their amazing haircare product. It’s basically a three-step salon hair treatment that works to repair and rebuild broken hair bonds with the aim of repairing and preventing damaged hair. It seeks to rebuild and restore the hair back to its normal glory, making it strong, healthy and shiny. The No.1 (Bond Multiplier) and No.2 (Bond Perfector) treatments are done at the salon or by professionals only, but the third treatment, the No.3 Hair Perfector is meant to be used at home once a week to keep strengthening the hair. I’ve never tried the first two treatments before, but I’ve recently been sold by this No.3 Hair Perfector treatment because I really saw a huge improvement with my hair.

To give you a brief history of my hair and its condition, well, first of all, my hair is really long and straight. I’ve never colored it but I’ve had some straightening treatments done in the past. My hair strands are a mix of fine and thick that could get dry and frizzy easily. I normally don’t do much fuzz on my hair except applying some leave-in conditioners from time to time or use a heat protectant whenever I use a flat iron to straighten it. Most of the time, I like to just wash and wear. But my biggest hair problem is definitely hair breakage or hair fall and frizzies. I seem to have really weak strands and it got even worse since my hair had had some treatments in the past. Frizzies are annoying for me especially in the heat or extreme humidity, so I have to use a really moisturizing and defrizzing shampoo and conditioner to combat the issue.

Enter Olaplex Hair Perfector No.3, thank goodness I’ve tried this thing. It has a bit of a fruity scent that applies rather easily on the hair, but make sure you apply it when your hair is wet or right before shampooing. The instruction said to keep it on your hair for about 15 minutes, but I like to keep mine on for 30 to 40 minutes and the result seems better. After that, rinse your hair and apply your usual shampoo and conditioner. As you do that, you’ll notice your hair feeling really smooth and soft, like it had been in a salon. As soon as you dry your hair and a few hours later, you’ll feel the silky smooth difference. On my part, my hair feels really nice to the touch and it’s straighter than usual like it’s been rebonded or relaxed. I feel like now I have a rockstar hair. LOL. It’s just bouncier, shinier, and softer. I’m down to my second bottle now and I’ve noticed a huge difference in the amount of hair breakage or hair fall that I have. Literally, I barely see much hair breakage now and even fewer hair strands on the floor. It’s a problem solved for me and I’m so thankful for this product. I can now straighten my hair without worrying if I’m harming it too much or if I’ve overheated it with my flat iron.

This product is so good and I really recommend it if you wanna restore your hair back to its normal state. I was a bit scared before using this as it might make my hair worse, but right now my hair looks like it’s back to my teenager days before I did some sorcery on it. LOL. I do wish that they should’ve made the bottle larger because for its price and for the length of my hair, it’s basically only good for 3-4 uses. The bottle is really small and I like to soak the product into my hair. But anyways, I’ll still be hoarding this product from now on, and I’ll definitely try that Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Conditioner (No.4 and No.5) that’s been out in Sephora recently.

Have you tried this product yet? You really should.

The Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 is currently available at Sephora and Revolve